South Africa vs Australia LIVE: Rugby Championship result and reaction as Springboks thrash Wallabies

Loftus Versfeld really is one of rugby’s great theatres. The ground is now 100 years old but still provides such an intense atmosphere, and all indications are that it’ll be packed to the rafters today with a sell-out announced in May. What impact might the crowd have? Australia, remember, have never won in Pretoria.

There was still a little lingering doubt about the state of James Slipper’s knee yesterday, but it appears the Australia co-captain will be fit to go - albeit with a fair amount of strapping on his leg. The scrum shapes as an intriguing battleground today, South Africa having lost Ox Nche for the summer and perhaps slightly weaker at loosehead than they might ordinarily be. Steven Kitshoff was meant to be New Zealand bound and will have to adjust quickly after being called in late as cover for Nche, while his reserve, Thomas du Toit, played almost exclusively tighthead with the Sharks last season.

Australia are without Taniela Tupou, but they might fancy their chances of at least getting scrum parity, which will be crucial if they are to engineer a victory. It helps, of course, to have all of Will Skelton’s mass behind Allan Ala’alatoa.

South Africa have loaded up with six forwards on the bench, as they tend to. I do think that it might emerge as Eddie Jones’s preferred strategy later in the run-up to the World Cup - Australia have the pieces to develop a similar power game to their opponents today, with Skelton and Richie Arnold sizeable (in every sense) additions after seasons in France. Arnold has been a quiet star of Toulouse’s success over the last couple of seasons, and follows Rory, his identical twin, to international honours.

Arnold, Skelton, Quade Cooper, Samu Kerevi and Marika Koroibete were Jones’s five overseas selections in his Rugby Championship squad, though little clarity has actually been given on how many players based outside Australia the head coach is permitted to choose. The feeling in rugby circles is that what Eddie wants, Eddie will get - and having all five at his disposal is rather useful.

This Springboks backline is pretty fun. Even with Faf de Klerk, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe still to swap in, there’s no shortage of potency. Wings Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie are very different players - Arendse a hot-stepping ball of energy, Moodie a smooth-moving long strider - but they are equally dangerous in open space, and will really test an Australian defence now overseen by Brett Hodgson.

Hodgson had been due to take on the same role in the England coaching set-up before Eddie Jones’s departure. It’s a first full-time role in union for the former rugby league star.

Right, kick-off is fast approaching in Pretoria. Can Australia make a World Cup statement against a changed South Africa side? Or will Loftus Versfeld again prove an unbreachable fortress for the Wallabies?

The top tier of one stand of Loftus is baking in the evening sunshine, some supporters blocking thier eyes with the complementary green bits of plastic handed out to form a Springboks tifo.

James Slipper heads the Australia line, moving smoothly despite that knee complaint, with Michael Hooper following his co-captain out. It’ll be fascinating to see how this Wallabies side goes as they begin the second Eddie Jones era.

Duane Vermeulen leads South Africa out. There have been a few wondering if the 37-year-old number eight has it in him to get through to the World Cup, his form slipping slightly and both Jasper Wiese and Evan Roos bashing firmly on the door. He’s a big game player, though, and should relish the opportunity to captain the Springboks for the first time on home soil.

There’s scarcely an Australian in sight, Loftus Versfeld packed right to the gills of passionate South African supporters. The atmosphere sounds incredible, the national anthem sung remarkably tunefully by more than 50,000.

Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR) ARs: Paul Williams (NZR) & Andrea Piardi (FIR) TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZR)

Nic White has the ball in hand, Australia’s customary starter ready to get things underway. White pauses as two flag carrying aircraft cruise overhead as the flamethrowers fly.

This could be all sorts of fun. We’re underway!